Jewish Disney World

There are experiences that say with you forever. I am experiencing one of those.

There is a place in the world called Limmud. Limmud takes you one step forward in your Jewish journey. No matter where you are, what you do, who you are. A meal is an experience in itself. 

I arrived yesterday, Friday December 26, in the morning. After wondering around the airport and napping at the coffee shop I met with another 40 participants which whom I shared the bus. When you arrive at the Warwick university you can already feel the magic, it's like a Jewish Disney World. Everyone is happy, everyone welcomes you with a smile, everyone helps you, and most of all, everyone is friendly and wanting to meet new people.

Yesterday I attended 2 sessions: shmita and Jewish food ethic, and a shabbat celebration: here they have some 3-d glasses that when you looked at light you see hearts! Spread the love! (Look at the picture below) Both were special, in both of them I learned and grew.

Today was different. I started the day with a 2 miles run in a sunny but cold morning (38F). At 11:30 there was a stretching and relaxing session which I thought it was great to do after my run. When by 11:45 we realize that the presenter was not coming and my need to stretch my body I asked the other 5 people in the room if they wanted to do yoga. Asking around nobody felt comfortable to start the session so I just lead the first 15 minutes, one of the most important core values at Limmud. We can all teach!!!! Alex led the stretching, Mijal some more yoga and we left feeling inspired!

Lunch followed where I met Michelle, the Limmud shabbat co-chair and we had an interesting conversation about immigration and food.

The afternoon followed by a deep relaxation and vocal vowel meditation. I felt like I was picked up and remove from my body. After an intense hour of meditation and relaxation I feel like new! New energies, new blood, new experiences. May shabbat finished and let this week be as powerful and meaningful as this shabbat has been.

Shavuah Tov!

Birthday Cake

Do you have the birthday of a relative or friend coming up?

What's best that a good chocolate cake with buttercream frosting... and when the frosting is green, even better! This cake came up super moist and fresh! The recipe is definitely a keeper. Original recipe from Martha Stewart

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pans
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• Shaved dark chocolate

Directions

1. Step 1

   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Step 2

   In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

3. Step 3

   Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
    

 
  

4th of July- US Flag cake.

Thirteen years ago I immigrated to the United States together with my family: parents and 2 brothers. This past November (2013) I became an US citizen. Too many this might have been paperwork, for me: a life of working, sacrifices, and choices. Some choices might have been easier done others, some might have involve more than myself, and some others have been life changing.

Today, I am here, I am happy, I am an US citizen who is able to make choices, is free of speaking and enjoying a country with all it has to offer.

July 4th was approaching and I felt the need to make something different. I had never done anything to celebrate the 4th of July. We (together with the family) might have watch few fireworks over the years and spent the day at the beach as any other day in Miami.

This year, I found myself in Eugene, OR. Been invited to a BBQ was the perfect excuse to make this cake that I found on Pinterest. 

This is how my cake look:

 

For the cake Red Velvet cake I used a recipe from Sweet Peas Kitchen (personally I did not like the recipe. The cake tasted like flour. I did not have my recipe box with me where I have the BEST Red Velvet recipe). The guests did not commented of the flour, they were too overwhelmed with how the cake look. 

For the Vanilla cake I used a recipe from Sallys Baking Addiction (the cake was delicious!!!!!) I double the recipe. After palcing half of the batter on the cake pan I added blue food coloring. 

The Cream Cheese Frosting is my own recipe:

-2 8oz Cream cheesse

-1 cup of butter

-4 cups of Powdered Sugar

-1tsp of Vanilla extract

Hope you and your guests enjoy it!

Healthy Friday- Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties

Maddy suggested this recipe. I was feeling creative, I twisted the recipe a bit. Had dinner with Karina and she loved them!

Great side for a salad or roasted/grilled veggies.

SWEET POTATO QUINOA PATTIES
makes 8 patties

INGREDIENTS:
- 1cups baked sweet potato, skins removed & mashed (approximately 2 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 cups cooked quinoa
- half sweet onion, chopped
-1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of sun dried tomatoes
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper


COOKING:
-  Prepare quinoa according to package instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees, pierce sweet potatoes with fork and bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Remove skins, mash with a fork to remove all chunks and place in large mixing bowl.

- In a sauté pan combine onions, olive oil, a hearty pinch of sea salt and cook over medium-low heat until onions are translucent. Add the brown sugar, and then  add garlic and cook an additional minute, stirring continually to prevent the garlic from burning.

-   Add onions, quinoa, 1/4 teaspoon salt (more to taste), a bit of fresh cracked pepper to large mixing bowl with sweet potatoes and stir until well combined.

-  Form mixture into golf ball size ball, flatten into a patty, and cook in the greasy pan from onions for approximately 2 minutes on each side (you want them to brown up and crisp!).    Enjoy with a generous sprinkling of asiago or parmensa cheese.

Original recipe from A house in the hills.

Gluten free Onion and Cheese Quiche

In the spirits of trying to stay fit and loose some weight started looking for improvements and changes in my life.

As a resolution, exercise  came as number one, but it was right close by eating healthier.  I spent much time of my day snacking into pita chips, crackers, and sweets.

With so many Jewish holidays and days off work, thought it would be a good idea to go back to the kitchen and spend some valuable time cooking and trying new recipes.

In the menu for today: Cheese and Onion Gluten Free Quiche

After lots of searching found this great recipe by Joy the Baker.

For the Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups Cup4Cup all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

For the Filling:

• 5 eggs
• 1 cup of greek yogurt
• 2 onions
• 1 bag of shredded cheese
• 1 cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp of kosher salt
• 1 tsp of pepper

To Make the Crust:
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture.  Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture.
 In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and buttermilk, and pour in the liquid mixture.  Use your hands to bring to dough together.  Try to moisten all of the flour bits.  On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture.  It will be moist and shaggy.  Sprinkle generously with flour.   Allow dough to rest in the fridge while you assemble the filling.  Dough is easiest to roll out when it’s cold and rested.
When you’re ready to roll out the crust, on a well-floured work surface, gently roll out the pie crust into about an 11-inch circle. Carefully lift down and place into the 9-inch pie plate.  Use a pairing knife to trim the edges of pie dough, leaving about 1/2 inch extra dough overhang. 

To Make the Filling:
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, warm oil.  Add the onions, stirring occasionally,  until they are almost clear (about 20 minutes)remove from heat, pour into medium bowl.
Add the eggs, ricotta, yogurt, cheese, salt, and pepper. Whisk all together until mix is light yellow.
Place quiche in oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until quiche puffs up and does not have a loose giggle when shaken lightly.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least an hour.  Serve warm or cool. 

I chose to wrap the quiche in individual portions and freeze it. 
To warm it up, remove the wrap, place in the oven on 400 degree F for 20 minutes and enjoy with some salad!

Bete Abon! (bon Apetit in Hebrew)

Engagement Party Gift I Champagne Glasses

So, one of my very good friends got engaged and together with the rest of the girls we wanted to give them a creative and different gift, a gift that could last a lifetime, but it will be more than material. With happiness and party mode on...   

Supplies:

• Champagne glasses 
• Mulit-surface Craft Paint in Glitter, your choice of color 
• Sponge 
• Modge Podge 
• Glitter 
• RIbbon 
• Tape 

As a final touch we thought it would be nice to give them a champagne bottle which we also have decorate. Enjoy!

Traveling as a Director

I had always picture and experience to Israel as a pleasure, always came just incharge of myself or a friend... never of 46 teenagers!!! yes you are reading right... 46!!And so we left Miami on Wednesday June 13. It took us 2 hrs to do check-in, why??? because it is a slow process, although 3 people were helping us, more than half of the group had overweight, and well... they are kids.By the time we all were about to do through security one of the kids was left at check in counter with a madrich because a new manager came and said that none of the kids can leave the country without a written authorization of their parents... did we have them?? of course not... some fighting done by our travel agent lady and we were good to go.

The flight to NY was short but hectic... the kids were singing, talking, playing with each other... imagine the excitement they had. the flight attendance hated us, they had no patience for the kids.

Once in NY we had to change terminal and do checkin with ELAL... not an easy kjob and even a harder one when you have venezuelans. It tooks us 2.5 hrs. longs and slow, we did security ate some food, and as we are about to get on the plane a group of religiuos men about to pray decided it was a good idea to open the emergency door. so happy it was not our kids!!! :)

All splitted around the plane, with a middle seat (how much I hate them) the plane took off to the amazing land!!! of course i slept the whole plane!!! no doubts... not like a baby but pretty comfortable.

We got to Israel tire but excited!!! Happy to be in this amazing place. We went straight to ירושלים!!!!!

We did an amazing activity were we blindfold the kids and make them walk and listen to three stories of people who have never been in Israel. The stories are short but moving. After the stories we ask the kids to turn around and take the blindfolds and they are facing the kotel. It was amazing!!!!!!!

We got to the hotel by 1am. Exhausteddd. Im happy that I made the room divisions and they are all happy about it. :) I'm happy I how I know my chanichim.